Food blogger Kristin Andrus shared three of her favorite variations of grilled cheese. Find her recipes onInstagramor her website.
Goat Cheese, Fig, and Honey Grilled Cheese
3 tsp honey
1 lemon, grated
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese
8 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
2 TB fig jam
2 tsp thinly sliced fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring until well blended. Spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices; top each slice with fig jam and basil. Top with remaining bread slices. Lightly coat outside of bread with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is lightly toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Sprinkle with sugar.
Italian Grilled cheese
1 loaf sourdough bread
Prosciutto de Parma, thinly sliced
Pesto
Roasted tomatoes
Fontina cheese, thinly sliced
Mozzarella or Burrata, thickly sliced
Arugula
EVOO
Coarse salt and Ground Pepper
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Spread one side of bread with the pesto and the other with olive oil. Layer with Fontina, prosciutto, tapenade, tomatoes, and arugula; end with mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread. Brush top and bottom of the sandwich with olive oil. Place on grill pan and weight top of sandwich with a heavy skillet. Grill 3 to 4 minutes on first side, turn, weight down, and continue cooking until sandwich is golden and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Croque Madame Grilled Cheese
8 slices Brioche or Challah Bread
Pre-prepared hollandaise sauce or Alfredo sauce
Nutmeg, freshly ground
Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated,
Ham, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and Ground Pepper
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook 4 poached or sunny side up eggs. Set aside. Spread each piece of bread with hollandaise sauce. Cover sauce with a slice of cheese, a slice of ham, and another slice of cheese. Top each sandwich with remaining 4 slices of toast. Spread each sandwich with more sauce and sprinkle evenly with remaining grated cheese. Place sandwiches on baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add fried or poached egg on top of sandwich. Preheat broiler; transfer baking sheet to broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbly.
